A few weeks ago, I went through my jewelry box--and my other jewelry box. Sitting on my bedroom floor and combing through all of my treasures was a trip down memory lane. Dainty necklaces and bracelets from my First Communion, earings from my college roommate's trip to New Zealand, a lacey eidelweiss bracelet from Austria, the opal ring I got for my eighth grade graduation, the amazing emerald and diamond jewelry my boyfriend surprised me with one January evening. Each piece having a little story. I cleaned out my big jewelry box and gave my favorite pieces a place of honor. In doing so, I came across a few pieces of little-girl jewelry that I wanted to give away: a tiny pair of heart-shaped studs, and a set of itty-bitty emerald jewelry.
I posted an ad on Craigslist, and here's who I chose to give them to:
A little girl named Lunah, maybe three or four years old, is the recipient of my old, tiny, heart-shaped stud earings. Back in second grade when I got my ears pierced, these dainty gold hearts were my first "real" earrings, along with some little blue whales that have long-since disappeared. But I digress.
Lunah's mother responded to my ad because her daughter lost an earring somewhere in the house the day before. Lunah asked her mommy to help her find it, but they had no luck. Because Lunah is such a good helper around the home, mommy Edna likes to reward her little one with a small gift on Friday afternoons. My old heart-shaped earings were her gift that week.
This is Lily. Like me, she was born in May. That's my teeny-tiny (not real) emerald ring on her right index finger. And you can't see it, but behind all that long, blonde hair are my old (not real) emerald studs. Around her neck hangs my old emerald pendant. (Yep, also not a real emerald.) But that doesn't matter. When you're a little girl and fortunate enough to get to wear sparkly, grown-up jewelry, none of that matters.
Lily's nana responded to my Craigslist ad and told me that she was was going to be seeing Lily in a few days and would love to pass these pieces along. We met at Dunkin' Donuts over coffee and had an absolutely lovely chat. Having learned more about Lily, her family, and her kind nana, I couldn't be more pleased to pass along these pretty jewels.
The ring was a gift from my parents, I think, when I was probably around seven years old. I remember seeing it in the Service Merchandise catalog and thinking it was ever-so-pretty. The ring grew with me over the years--from middle finger, to ring finger, and finally landing on my pinky. The stone was a little bit scratched because I once dropped it once while playing in my grandparents' driveway. I think it actually got run over.
Nevertheless, after sitting unworn in my jewelry box for a good 15 or 20 years, this dainty little ring deserved to come out from hibernation. But pinky rings and artificial gems aren't my style these days. It deserved to be worn by another little girl. Passing along this treasured little piece of my childhood--and getting to know a kind stranger in the process--was one of the brightest spots in my history of good karma housekeeping.
_________________________________________________________________________ © 2009 Good Karma Housekeeping. Making the space--mentally and physically--to live happily ever after. Just like a fairytale princess.
I remember peeling the dollar bills out of my red Velcro wallet back in 1984 to pay for this cute little piggy bank that I bought for myself at the China pavillion at Epcot Center while on a family vacation. For years, this piggy bank sat on my dresser, holding coins for vending machine goodies; later, quarters for the washing machines at college. Eventually, the rubber stopper on the bottom disintegrated and the joy of dropping a coin into the money slot was a thing of the past. But I wasn't ready yet to part with this rosy-cheeked piglet with the endearing smile. So, I carried her from one home to the next, knowing someday I'd find her a new owner. Who could resist that face?
